Wirebound box or crate



SeP- 26, 1933 w. F. NEwHousE WIREBOUND BOX 0R CRATE Filed Jan. 5, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 26, 1933. I w F NEWHQUSE 1,928,133

WIREBOUND BOX 0R CRATE Filed Jan. 5, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 liu/e nto?? Waewfjle w/LOMSG @mW/Ww Patented Sept. 26, 1933 -UNITEDSITTS PATENT OFFICE 1,928,133 WIREBOUND Box on CRATE Walter F. Newhouse, Benton Harbor, `Mich. l Applicatin January 5, 1931. serial No. 506,562

` l Y 2e claims. (ci. 211-43) i l This inventionlrelates to wirebound boxes and crates of the kind in whichcleats and sheet material are secured together by staples, to form of the cleats.

the sides and ends or heads of the box or crate, and in which binding wires are arranged to encirclerthebox, eachbinding wire having its ends `twisted together at'one corner of the box, thereby to tension the wire tightly around the box.-

\Ordi`narily,` rin boxes and crates of this kind, two of the binding wires extend along the sheet material over the cleats, and these binding wires are stapled and secured to the cleats, sothat each wire extends across the gap or space `between the adjacent end s of cleats. This construction, however, has been found tohave some Afaults and disadvantages, because of the fact that thestapling of the wires tothe cleats does not make the sheet material anythe less liable to pull away from the cleats, by losseningthe staples, and becausethesheet .material'isv free to bend or move outwardly `and inwardly, causing the edge portion Vof the sheet material to fulcrum on the cleats, so to speak, andto thus gradually pry the staples loose, so that in tests and in actual vpractice these boxes have shown a tendency toweaken first along the joint between the sheet material and the cleats, and at the jointsbetween the ends Moveover, withl the binding wires stapled to the cleats, ithas-been common, both in tests andV in actual practice, for'these binding wires tov slip off at the-corners of the box, thus leaving the joint at any-such corner of the box inal weakened condition. I

VGenerally stated, therefore, the object, of this "invention isto provideanovel andV improved construction and arrangementwhereby no bind- `ing wires are stapled tothe cleats,` but instead wide staples, or any suitable staples, are inserted through the sheet material and into the cleats, in a manner to firmly attach'the sheet material to the cleats, in combination with binding wires `arranged to encircle the box at points immediately or suitably inside of the cleats, whereby .the

staples for securing these binding wires in place do not extend into the cleats, but simply extend through the sheet material at points a distance from the inner sides of the cleats, and are clinched on the inner surface of the sheet material, thereby lessening the tendency of the sheet material to pull away from the cleats, both in tests and in actual practice, and lessening the tendency of fracture at the points between the ends of the cleats, inasmuch as lthe said binding wires are back far enough from the heads or ends of the box'to pre binding wires close enough to the cleats to prevent outward'bulging of the sidev walls between the cleatsandthe wires, but far enough `from said cleats. to Yprevent fulcruming of the sheet material on the cleats, by outward and inward bulging of the walls, thereby to reduce the loosening action and strain on the staples that secure the sheets to thecleats.

It is `also an object to provide certain details andfeatures of construction and combinations tending to increase the general efiiciency and the desirability of a wirebound box or crate of this particular character.

. To theforegoing and'ot-her useful ends, the invention `consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed and shown in the accompany` ing drawings, in whichi Fig. l is a plan view of a wireless-cleatwirebound boxblank embodying the principles ofthe invention. i c i Fig. 2 is a side edge View of said blank. Y

Fig. `3 is a plan view-of a portion of said blank,

illustrating the manner in which staples are applied to fasten the sheet material to the cleats; Fig. 4 is a side edge view of the structure shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. i

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4, showing another form of the'invention.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. other form of theinvention. f i

Fig. 7 isa perspective of a wirebound box made from the blank shown in Fig. 1, showing theends of the binding Awires twisted together at one corner of the box.

Fig. ,8 is a view similar to Fig.y 3, showinga differentform ofthe invention. Y Y ',Fig. 9 is a detail sectional View of a portion of the box shown in Fig."7, illustrating the result- 3, showing an- Ving actionl of Yany tendency of thel sheetmaterial ofthe side walls to bulge outwardly between the binding wires. Y

Fig. l0 is a perspective of a wirebound box blank involving the principles of the invention, showing a different form of the invention.

Fig. llis'a transverse section of the blank shown in Fig. l0, on a larger scale.

Figi. l2 is a fragmentary plan view -of a portion of -the blankshown in Fig. 10 of the drawings. 1 Referring to Figsl to 4, inclusive, the inven`- tion comprises the sheets of veneer 1, 2, 3 and 4, orany other suitable sheet material, secured Vto the cleats 5, which latter may be of any suitable character, but which in the drawings. are shown with tongue and groove joints or tenons between their ends, whereby'the cleats interlock in the well known manner when the blankis folded 'into box'form, as shown inl Fig. 7 of the drawings. Wide staples Gare employed for fastening. the sheet material to the cleats, in the mannerVA shown, it being understood that the grain ofy the wood, if the sheet material is veneer, extendsv at rightangles to the length of the cleats, whereby the tops of the staples 6 extend crosswise of the grain of the wood in the sheet material. In the cleats, the grain'of the wood, if the cleats are madeof Wood, will extend llengthwise thereof. Binding wires 7, 7 and 8 are secured tothe outer surface of the box blank by lstaples 9 in the manner shown, these staplesbeing preferably skewedY or turned at an oblique angle sothat their heads will extend more or less crosswise of Y heads, which heads can extend at right angles, or Ymuch more at right-angles, to the grainv of the the grain of the wood in the sheet material.

When the preliminary blank, as shown, is converted into the ultimate box :shown-in lFig. 57.01

the drawings, it will be seen that the .ends of the binding wires are twisted together atlO to cause the wires to tightly encircle the box. .It willralso be seen that the wires 7`are spaced a distance from the inner sides of the cleats, whereby the staples9 vdo not enteror engage thecleats. With this arrangement, the wires 7 tend tovcounteract and prevent any tendencyvon the part of the sheet material to rst bulge outwardly, under the pressure'of the load, and to then spring back inwardly, which ordinarily results in a fulcruming of the sheet material on the cleats, with the edges of the sheet material and the `outer edges of the cleats forming the fulcralpoints of this motion. The wires 7 prevent this fulcruming action, and consequently tend to prevent the loosening ofthe staples 6, and to prevent the sheet material from pulling away from the cleats, as Iwould be liable to happen if the wires 7 were stapled 4to the'cleats, in the ordinary manneninstead of being stapled merely to the sheet material at points spaced a distance from the inner sides of :the cleats. In other words, with the construction shown and described, when the sheet material bulges outwardly, between the binding wires, under pressure of the" load, or for any reason, the strain is not on the staples 6, but vis on lthe binding wires 7, as well as on lthe binding wire 8, and hencek the tendency of the staples 6 to become loosenedis veryvgreatly reduced.

In Fig. 5, the construction is similar to that previously described, but inth'is case the staples 6 are-driven'entirely through the cleats and have their ends clinched on the'.under side of the cleats. f

In Fig. 6 of the drawings, the'construction is similar to that previously described, but in this case the staples 6 arek arranged obliquely and more or less-crosswise of 'the longitudinal center of the cleats, in the manner shown, ywhereby there arek not so many staple legs in line with each other as there kare in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

In Fig. 8, the construction is similar tok that previously described, but in this case the staples 6 are driven in two parallel rows, so to. speak, with the members of one row inrstaggered relation to the members of the otherY row, whereby the staplesfoverlap, so to speak, when viewed from above, and `whereby there'is no grain of the wood in the sheet material that is not straddled by some .staple head.

VFrom theforegoing, it will be seen that the invention contemplates a novel construction and arrangement of the parts of a wirebound box or crate, of such character thatthe bursting strain, or the outward pressure 'of the sheet material, is

' resisted at .points spaced :a distance from the inner sides of the cleats, thus' reducing the strain on the staples that secure .the sheet material to the cleats, and obviating the necessity of using binding wires over the cleats. YThis arrangement Adoes notincrease the number of binding wires that are necessary or desirable, and has the advantage that it brings the binding wires closer together,

reducing the capacity of the sheet material to bulge between them, without increasing the total number of the wires necessary yfor any given size of box. In addition, this Varrangement permits the'use of staples 6, or other suitable staples, in such a manner as to more advantageously and more effectively secure the.A sheet material to the cleats, inasmuchv as these staples can have Wider wood in the sheet material.

Furthermore, the staples 6 can be much wider than any staples 9 employed to secure the binding wires in place, thereby straddling more of the grain of the wood in the sheet material; and, in addition, the staples can be arranged with their heads parallel with the inner and outer sides of the cleats, whereby each and every staple leg is as far as possibleffrom either sideof the cleats, but, if desired, the staples l6 can rbe larranged as shown in Fig; 6 of the drawings, -for example, in larger or thicker or wider cleats, it being understood that the cleats can be of differ `ent lengths or thicknesses or widths, depending 'such arrangement it is Anot likely that the pres- `sure of the load within could at any time cause an outward bulging action of the sheet material between the wires 7 and the staples 6, and any such tendency would be effectively resisted by the wires' 7' to minimize the strain on said staples. Any outward bulging action of the sheet material between the Wires 7 and 8, using the Wires 7 as a sort of fulcrum, as a matter of fact, tends torcause the sheet material to more tightly hug or bear upon the cleats, as illustrated in Fig. 9 of the drawings. In this view of the drawings, the dotted lines vrepresent the outward bulge of the sheet material between the binding wires, so that the wire 7 in eilect becomes a fulcrum, with the result that the outer edge portions of the sheet material are pressed more tightly against the cleats. On the other hand,v any outward pressure of the load at a point between they wire 7 and the cleat 5, very obviously, will be sustained pretty much entirely by the wire 7, as the com-r Amodities shipped boxes or crates of this kind are ordinarily not of a character to concentrate the outward pressure at any one point of the inner surface of the sheet material, but is usually distributed thereover, and such commodities are usually of lsuch character that the outward bulging pressure is pretty much entirely between the binding wires. Thus the wires 7, as explained, are close enough to the staples 6 to minimize the rstrain on these staples, but at the same time are far enough away toprevent the outward bulging of the side material between the wires :from de- Velopng a fulcruming action of the sheet material "on the cleats. f

In Figs. l0, 11,-and 12, the'construction'is sim ilar to that shown in Fig. l of the drawings, but

in this case the kstaples 1'1 for the three lbinding wires 7 and 8 are driven upwardly or outwardly through the sheet material of the blank, whereby these staples V.have their points clinched on the outer surface of the blank, while ythe" heads of these staples are flush with the inner surface of the blank. Preferably, as shown, the staples '11 are arranged with their heads extendingv obliquely, vwherebythe two legs or points of each staple are spaced apart on the wire A'7, or on thewire 8.the clinched portions'of the staple legs extending at 4right'angles to the `wire 7 or the wire 8,as shown more clearly in Fig. 12 of the drawings. These staple points are'de'flected in a way that bends them over the binding wires and downwardly against or even-into the sheet material. In this way, the binding wires are sufiiciently held in place, on the outer surface of the blank, While theinner ends of .the'staples, being formed by staple heads, are smooth and free from points or projections, and are-thus not likely to scratch or injure the contents of the box or crate. As the heads or inner ends of the staples 11 are arranged obliquely, as shown, itfollows thateach staple straddles the grain of the wood of thesheet material thus rmly anchoring each staplein lthe sheet-material. Y'

ends of the cleats, and that the binding wires are so arranged that all'outward bulging ofthe sheet material is rst imposed'as a strain Aon the binding wires, without imposing much if any disrupt- Ving or detaching strain on the fastening ldevices between the sheet material andthe cleats. Preferably,for this purpose, as shown, and as il- Vlustrated in the drawings, asin rFigs. 8 and 11,

all of the binding wires are disposed between the two parallel planes of the inner sides of the cleats. The outer sides of thecleatsare flush with the edges of thesheet material, andthe inner sides `of the cleats are in planes between the staples and the binding'iwires rl` of therblank.n But, iin any event, there arevr wires closeenough tothe cleats (although not 'stapled thereto)I to hold the cleat ends in engagement withv eachother, but without, or at least less, danger of any wires `slipping oif over the corners of the box'.

Moreover; the staples 9 can be 'driven much closer tothe meeting edges of the sheets, than' if driven into the cleats, for `staples could not be inserted inthe tongue rand grooves of the cleats.

ItUwill also. be seen that by llocating'the binding wires adjacent the cleats, inwardly a distance, so that they. are not stapled .to the "cleats,these wires are A'not in'dangerVV of cutting into the tenons or joints between the ends of `the cleats, in case of rough Vhandling orrough usage." In other words, the wires cannot-cut into theends of the cleats andxthereby contribute to thesplitting or breaking of the cleats, as is common when thewiresare `fastened to and over the cleats.

Obviously, when nd'wires arejstapled tothe cleats, so, that the Vstapleswhich aredriven into the cleats may extend .exactly parallel with the sides of the cleats, itis possible to use narrow `cleats and less wood.

It will be'seen that the staples, in eachform of the invention, are relatively wide, and `have straight flat heads extending, in each Iormof the invention, more or less longitudinally of-the cleats. yIn Vone, case these'staple heads are ex'- r in each case these -staples are sufficiently longitudinalsof the cleatsto straddlea considerable amount of the grain of the-wood of the sheet material, `when. wood veneer is used forV this purpose, it being. understood that the grain of the wood in. the sheet materialmust extend transversely of the cleats and binding wires, in order to give the box ,the requisite strength. 1

'l What I claim as my vinvention is:

l'.v In a wirebound box or crate, the combination of solid one-piece cleats for the heads or ends of the box, said 'cleats being formed to engage each other at their ends, sheet material forming the side walls of the box, staples securing the sheet materialto the cleats, ldriven'with their heads tight against the sheet material, with the `head of each staple extending more or less longitudinally of the cleats,.binding wires encircling the box whereby the wires tightly encircle the ultimate box, said binding wires being disposed a distance back from the heads or ends of the box, whereby the staples over said wires are spaced a distance from theinner sides of the cleats, and from said cleat staples, whereby all binding wires of the box or crates vare disposed between the cleats at one end of the box and the cleats at the other end of the box or crate, but with a wire at each endA of the box'V close enough to the cleat staples to practically prevent'any bursting strain thereonand- 2.A A structure as speciiied in claim 1, the staples that secure only the sheet material to the cleats Y being wider than the staples that secure the wires to the sheet material, which latter vstaples are all clinched on'the under or innerl side of the'sheet f material, whereby the cleat staples are effectively arranged more'` or lesscrosswise of' the grainlof the wood of said sheet material .when the latter is composed of Wood Veneer.

L3. `lAstructureas specified inclaiml, said cleat staples being inserted entirely through the cleats and having their ends `or points clinched.l on the under side of each cleat;

4. 'Afstructure as specied in claim l, said cleats having tongue and groove joints or tenons at their ends. r

`5. A structure as specified in claim 1, having at least one intermediate binding wire between said rst mentioned binding wires, said wires cooperating .to reduce'or minimize the bursting strain of the side walls on the staples that secure only the sheet material to the cleats.

6. A structure as specified in claim l-, said wires being far enough from said cleats to prevent fulcrurning ofthe sheet material on the cleats, when the side Walls bulge outwardly between the wires, butv near enough to said cleats to prevent outward bulging ofthe side walls between the wires and the cleats. i Y

' 7. A structure as specified in claim 1, permitting insertionl of some of said staples closer to the meeting edges of the sheets than would be possible if inserted in the cleats.

: 8. A structureas specified in 4claim 1, said cleat staplesY being inserted with their heads extending parallel with the vsidesof the cleats.

9. A structureasspecied in claim l, said cleat staplesbeing inserted -in rows, in staggered relation, with the staple heads in each row parallel with the sides of the cleats, and with the heads of one row co-extensive with the spaces vin theother 10. In a wirebound box or crate blank, the come bination of sheet material forming side walls, solid one-piece `cleats secured tothe under side v of said sheet material along the sideedges of the spaced a distance from the cleats, butv close- `enough to the cleats to obviate thenecessity of stapling any binding wires over and to the cleats, whereby the blankhas two linesof wireless cleat staples spaced a distance from two lines of binding wire staples, thereby topractically prevent any bursting strain on said cleat staples.

,11. A structureA as specified in claim.10, `said binding Wires adjacent the cleats being a distance back from the outer sides of the cleats sufficient Y to prevent thezwires from slipping off' the corners of the box or crate, when the same is subjected to rough treatment in use.'

12;. A structure as specified in claim A10, the Ystaples which secure only the sheet material to the cleats having their heads arranged. to extend parallel with the'sides of the cleats.

13.l A structure as specied `in claim 10, said l cleat staples being substantially wider than the staples that secure the wires in place. 14. In a wirebound box or crate blank, the combination of sheet'materialforming the sides or outer `walls of the ultimate box or crate, when the blank is folded into box or crate form, one or more binding wires extending over the outer surface of the blank, adapted to externally circumscribe the ultimate box or crate, and'staples inserted outwardly through said sheet material,

' from the' inside lof the box or crate, the 'staple heads being disposed on the inner surface of the sheet materialfwhereby the staple heads are inside the ultimate box or crate, and Athestaple legs or points being clinched over said wire or wires ,on the outer surface ofthe sheet material,

on the outside of the box or crate.

15. A structure as specified in claim 14, said staples being inserted with their heads extending obliquely below the wires, and the staple points being curved over the wire or wires and downwardly at opposite sides thereof.

16. A structure as specified in claim'v14, saidr staples'being inserted with their heads extend-Y ing obliquely below` the wires, and the staple points being curved over the wire or wires and downwardly at opposite sides thereof, whereby .the staple points are spaced apart on the binding wire. l

` 17. A structure as specified in claim 14, the

staple heads being substantially flush with the innerlsurface of the sheet material.

18. A structure asspeciied in Yclaim 14, the staple heads being substantially flush vwith the inner surface of the sheet material, and the legs of each staple being disposed at opposite sides of the binding Wire, and the staple points being bent over across the wire'and downwardly into the sheet material.

`19.- A` structureas specified in claim 14, the

staple heads being substantially flush with the inner surface of the sheet material, and having the legsl of `each staple being disposedratopposite4 sides of the bindingwire, and the staple points being bent over across the Wire and downwardly into the sheet material, and the head of each' staple being disposed obliquely below -the binding wire, whereby the two staple points of eachstaple are spaced apart on therbinding wire on the outer surface of the blank.

' 20.V In a wirebound box or crate blank, the combination of sheet 'material forming the sides or outer walls of theultimate box or crate, when the blank is folded,` reinforcing means in the form of binding wire extending over the outer surface of the sheet material, forming external lbinding for the ultimate box or crate, and fasteners `vdriven from the inside and outwardly through said materiahfrom the inside of the box or crate, said lfasteners having their heads disposed on the inner or under sides of the sheet material, and whereby the fastener heads are vinside the ultimate box or crate, and having their outer ends clinched on the exterior of the box or crate on said binding wire.

21. 'A structure asspecied in claim 20, said fastener heads being substantially flush with the inner surface of the sheet material.

22. A structure as specified in claim 20, said fasteners comprising staples. f

23. In a wirebound box or crate blank, vthe combinationof sheet material forming the sides or outer wallsof the ultimate box or crate, when the blank is folded, binding wires extending over the 'outer surfacel of the sheet material, adapted to externally circumscribe the ultimate box or crate, solid one-piece cleats v.on the Vunder side of the sheet material, flat headed staples. inserted through the sheetv material into the cleats, and meansfor'securing said binding wires in place, said binding wires .being spaced from the inner sides of saidv cleats and-from said staples a distance closeenough to prevent outward bulging of the sheet material between said staples kand said wires, vand to practically prevent any bursting strain on said staples, but far enough from the cleats to prevent fulcruming action of the sheet material on the cleats by outward bulging of the sheet material between 'said binding wires, whereby the box or cratelhas two lines of wireless cleat staples and two lines of binding wire staples spaced a cofoperative distance therefrom.

24. In a box, side walls therefor of suitable sheet material, reinforcing means on-the outer surfaces of the side walls, and staples inserted outwardly through the side walls and having their points clinched upon said reinforcing means, whereby the headsof the staples are inside the box. f

25. A structure as specified in claim 24, said reinforcing means and side Walls and staples beingcombined as statedto provide preformed side rpanels for theultimate box.

26.A A structure as. specified in claim 24, said reinforcing means comprising encircling binding wires lfor the box, these wiresv extending under the clinched points 0f the staples, the heads of the staples extending diagonally, and the points of each staple extending substantiallyparallel and vat right angles across the binding wire. 

